PHILIP "BRUCE" ANDERSON

A life of adventure, achievement and love - love for God, family, friends and country - came to an end on Saturday, August 24, 2013 when Philip "Bruce" Anderson slipped away at his home in Orange, CA, with his family present, from Melanoma brain cancer. A native Californian born April 4, 1924 in San Francisco, who moved to Coalinga, CA at an early age, thrived in the small town atmosphere where his father, Dr. George H. Anderson, practiced dentistry and his mother, Julie Prettyman Anderson, a nurse turned homemaker, raised Bruce and his sister, Jean. When Bruce graduated from H.S. in 1942, he immediately joined the U.S. Naval Air Corps as a cadet, graduating in 1943 as a naval pilot attached to the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in WWII in the Pacific Theater and later in the Korean War flying a total of 103 missions as a dive bomber pilot. During these years he earned many decorations, among them three Distinguished Flying Crosses. Between the two wars he entered UC Berkeley, thanks to the G.I. Bill, graduating in 1948 with a BS in Business Administration followed by an MBA in 1950. When he returned from Korea he was stationed at El Toro Marine Air Station in a Transport Squadron. During this time he met his lifelong sweetheart, Hazel Jean Pittman and they married October 22, 1955. They were blessed with a loving family and he was very proud of their four children and seven grandchildren. He utilized his education in several businesses but his strong interest as an investor led him to become a stock broker and eventually the Board Chairman and Co-owner of Titan Capital, a national financial planning corporation with offices in all 50 states. He later became Chairman Emeritus of Centaurus Financial Inc. Bruce caught the "travel bug" while serving in the Marines so he and Hazel traveled the world and had visited every continent (except Antarctica) as well as every state in the USA. He leaves behind his wife, Hazel; daughter, Kay Smith (husband Rich); son, Kent Anderson; daughter, Tracy Rice (husband Rob); daughter, Julie Chesney (partner Karen Berkshire). He was the beloved grandfather of Chelsey and Courtney Rice, Ben and Tim Anderson, Jenna and Donelle, and their brother, Richard Chesney who predeceased Bruce in 2006; his sister, Jean Avery; sisters-in-law, Helen Hopkins, Alice Stauffer, Jo Anne Hansen; and brother-in-law, Tony Hansen, as well as many wonderful nieces and nephews and lifelong friends. Honorary grandchildren, Holly and Sean Berkshire also survive. The family wishes to extend thanks to everyone who supported Bruce with their prayers, love, visits and gifts. Special gratitude to his devoted caregivers, Sam Mayo, and to Vitas Hospice, especially his weekly nurse, Sakirah Tu, and to Eva Lennen of Fairhaven Memorial Park. At a family ceremony Bruce was laid to rest on Saturday, August 31 at Fairhaven Memorial Park in the Court of Meditation Columbarium with military honors provided by the Marine Corps. A Memorial Mass is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 at 10 a.m. at St. Norbert Catholic Church, 300 E Taft Ave., Orange, CA, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in his memory to St. Norbert Catholic School or Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256. woundedwarriorproject.org "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. The Marines don't have that problem." Ronald Reagan, President of the United States "Those we love don't go away. They walk beside us every day; unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, still very dear." Bruce, you are in our hearts forever. www.fairhavenmemorial.com

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